


This is Us Colliding

by nessalk



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: APPLE CIDER, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Apple Pie, Apple-picking take on Beauty and the Beast, Autumn, Baker Rey, Baking away your unresolved sexual tension, Ben is a fairytale prince even if he doesn't know it, Ben's dimples are going to be the death of Rey, C3P0 is the butler of course, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Knead that dough Rey!, Swearing, Trust Ben to hijack Rey even when he's under house arrest, Unresolved Sexual Tension, apple picking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 08:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16471829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nessalk/pseuds/nessalk
Summary: Desperate to save her bakery from going out of business, Rey decides to steal apples from Varykino Orchards. Things go awry when Ben catches her in the act. But instead of turning her in, Ben makes an interesting proposal...**An apple-picking twist on Beauty and the Beast/Snow White. Dedicated to the lovely and talented minkel23 who came up with the brilliant prompt.





	This is Us Colliding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Minkel23](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minkel23/gifts).



> This is written for The Writing Den's Fall Fic Exchange. Dedicated to the lovely and talented minkel23 who came up with the brilliant prompt of Kylo owning an apple orchard and needing a backpacking Rey to harvest apples for making cider. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to Zabeta and LoveofEscapism for whipping up a very rough first draft and polishing it to this fun little adventure. You ladies are amazing.

“Get your ass out here, Niima!” Maz barked from the storefront. The diminutive proprietor of Takodana Bakery poked her head into the sweltering depths of the kitchen where Rey labored to remove the blueberry pies from the cavernous oven and into the cooling racks.

 

“I’m not a server,” Rey grumbled. Sweat dripped from her face and her skin prickled from the oven’s residual heat. “Who’s going to bake this product if not me?”

 

“The pies were the last item on the menu today,” Maz snapped. Her voice was brusque, a sure sign of stress from the normally unflappable woman. Maz had faced down unruly teenagers, angry customers and, once, a Coruscanti town census taker without batting an eyelash. Something was bothering her. Something had been bothering her for the past two weeks, but she hadn’t told Finn, Rose or Rey what it was.

 

Rey watched her employer from the corner of her eye as she plated the cooled pumpkin custard, but didn’t ask. As a rule, she never asked. That was Finn’s job or Rose’s. Finn, who was so good with his words or Rose, who always saw the good in each person she met. Perhaps that was why she got on so well with them. Rey never seemed to know how to speak or relate to people, but Finn and Rose made it so easy. They were her best friends. They were also her only friends.

 

“Our supplier is coming today.”  Maz hung up her apron on a peg. Her gaze darted around the room, but couldn’t seem to settle on anything.  Her voice had softened somewhat, but the strain was still there. “You can’t hide in the kitchens forever, kiddo.”

 

“I’m not hiding,” Rey said, chin dipping. Her hands curled into fists and her voice sharpened. “Tell the suppliers we need the apple deliveries in two days or else we’ll just be making bread for the rest of the season.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Maz waved a hand as she closed her office door. “Now get out there.”

 

“It’s just customers, Niima,” Rey muttered to herself as she scrubbed her face and hands as best she could in the industrial-sized sink. Stacks of dirty trays, frost covered knives and doughy pins swayed precariously under the steaming hot water. She took one long look at herself in the polished steel of the industrial-sized refrigerator. “It’s not like I’m trying to impress them with my face.”

 

The storefront was a madhouse. Children ran underfoot, parents crowded the counters and couples wandered through the nearly barren aisles. The slide and catch of the cash register mingled with the faint squeak of the metal trays as Finn rang up each purchase as fast as Rose could bag the products.

 

“I asked for a pineapple cheese Danish. Not a cheese Danish!” Dave growled as Finn tried to ring him up. Rey recognized him as an old, unpleasant customer of Unkar’s when Rey worked at the junkyard. He cut off Finn’s automatic, bright apology. “Trust your kind not to get a simple order right.”

 

Everyone around Dave froze, including the couple behind him. Finn’s smile slipped from his face.

 

“You need to leave,” Rose snarled. She came to stand beside her husband, a truly frightening expression on her face. Though petite and pregnant, when Rose Tico had that expression on her face, the most unruly drunks in the village of Jakku scattered.

 

Unfortunately, Dave was as stupid as he was mean. “It’s people like you that make this country so—”

 

Without even thinking, Rey dumped a small basin of soapy water on the man. He yelped, screaming obscenities at her while customers backed away from him. Rey ignored Finn’s anxious “He’s not worth it.” She couldn’t hear anything except her blood roaring in her eyes. She leapt over the counter, grabbed Dave by the scruff of the neck, and frog-marched him out the bakery door. She shoved him into the crowded parking lot where people turned to watch the confrontation.

 

“You dumpster diving trash bitch!” Dave said, spittle flying from his lips. His sallow skin looked even sicklier in the sunlight. “I know who you are! Think you’re too good for us now, huh? You didn’t think so when Unkar had you do his dirty work—”

 

“What’s the problem here?”

 

Rey’s heart dropped out of her chest. Slack jawed, she stared as Poe Dameron, Hosnia’s town darling and the boy she’d adored since she was twelve, stepped out of his sleek 1964 Pontiac X-Wing and back into her life.

 

“Dave, you better not be up to your old shit,” Poe said, frown thunderous. The last she’d seen Poe, he’d been fresh out of college where he’d scored top of his class and so madly in love with his fiancee Paige. The ensuing tragedy had tempered Poe’s trademark cockiness and distilled it to a quiet, easy confidence.

 

“What’s it to you, Dameron?” Dave retorted, but he’d backed up uneasily and his voice had quieted. His hand dug inside his inner jacket where Rey knew he kept a switchblade.

 

Poe rolled his eyes and twitched his jacket aside to show a gleaming badge clipped to his belt pocket. “Before you do anything, remember that I’ve known you my whole life, and I would be happy for the excuse to shoot you.”

 

“Fuck you,” Dave spat. He glanced at Rey, at the bakery customers watching him, at Poe before seeming to think better of it. He straightened his rumpled jacket and walked away.

 

“Fuck you too,” Poe said cheerfully, sounded a lot more like the boy Rey had known. He turned to look at her now, standing framed by Takodana Bakery’s doorway. “Well, well, if it isn’t little Rey Niima.”

 

Rey’s mouth snapped shut and she turned bright red.

 

Poe’s brow twitched together and he asked, “Is that flour on your neck?”

* * *

 

 

Nearly half an hour after Rey had thrown Dave out, Takodana was much calmer.

 

Poe stood near the register, talking animatedly with Finn. Though Poe was several years older, he’d been a good friend and mentor to Finn throughout high school. Finn had been Poe’s best man when he’d married Paige Tico. Rey remembered the wedding well—the fairy lights strung about the room, the laughter of the newly married couple, Finn’s face as he met Rose for the first time, and the sinking feeling in the pit of Rey’s stomach as she watched the boy she’d admired for nearly ten years marry the love of his life.

 

She’d never done anything about her infatuation; how could she? She’d never even spoken of it, though she knew Finn suspected. She knew, deep down, that Poe had made the right choice. Paige was exactly right for him the way Rose was exactly right for Finn.

 

Rey frowned ferociously as she resupplied the empty bins with fresh stacks of warm cinnamon bagels and golden buttery croissants.  She didn’t think she’d ever be exactly right for anyone. She was too quiet, too intense, too… just _too_ much.

 

All the same, she couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach at seeing Poe in the flesh after so many years. He’d spent little time in the Core Regions after he’d graduated and even less after Paige died in the military. She didn’t think Finn had even talked to him in the last six months. Seeing him back here in the place where she’d spent many long afternoons fantasizing about him as only a twelve year-old could was surreal.

 

“You’re up in where again?” Rose’s face wrinkled in confusion as she wiped the counter free of crumbs and coffee spills. “What’s Varykino? Is that in Coruscant?”  Rose and Paige had grown up in the mining town of Hays far from the Core Regions. Though she’d lived in the village of Jakku for several years now, she was still unfamiliar with many towns, hamlets, villages, farms and estates that comprised the apple country.

 

“That’s one of the big estates, right, Rey?” Behind Poe’s back, Finn flapped his hand and tilted his head to Poe. Apparently, her eavesdropping had not gone unnoticed. When Rey shook her head, Finn pointed to Poe, shook his fist at Rey and mouthed, TALK.

 

“Over a thousand acres of land and dozens of orchards—pumpkins, pears, pomegranates,” Poe listed. “So many apple trees. But no export.”

 

“Why not?” Rose asked, rocking back on her heels and rubbing her distended belly. She looked especially pretty today with a brown kerchief over her dark, thick hair and her neat, olive green sweater dress.  “Isn’t that how all those farms make their money?”

 

“Owner doesn’t need it.” Poe shrugged, gaze flicking around the bakery. His fingers drummed against his thighs where Rey caught a glimpse of the dark leather gun holster. “He owns Convergence, Aldera and Varykino. That’s nearly half of the land around here.”

 

“Why doesn’t he send it to schools or homeless shelters?”  Rose asked in disgust. Like Finn and Rey, Rose had grown up hungry. If there was one thing she couldn’t tolerate, it was waste.

 

“It’s…complicated.” Crossing his arms, Poe turned to Rey and added with a grin “Anyway, I had to see my favorite sister-in-law and her husband. Finn said I was going to be an uncle!”

 

The breath whooshed out of Rey’s lungs as she received the infamous Dameron smile. It wasn’t fair, Rey thought viciously. He’d only grown _more_ handsome over time. Rey averted her gaze and inadvertently caught Rose and Finn’s shared smile. Rey wasn’t very good at speaking with people, but she understood them well. She knew what that smile between Rose and Finn meant: comfort, quiet joy, home.

 

A bittersweet sensation rose in Rey’s chest, effectively dispelling any embarrassment at Poe’s smile. She’d never resented Rose and Finn’s relationship. Though they’d been together for many years now, Rey had never felt excluded even when Finn moved out to live with Rose. If anything, she knew far more about both of them than Rey preferred. But all the same, it would be different with a baby. Their days of being a trio were fast coming to an end.

 

“With the bakery doing so well, we were hoping to get some time off for the last month,” Rose said, rubbing the gentle swell of her stomach. Her cheeks were flushed with happy anticipation. “We’re due in a few weeks just after the Core Halloween Baking Competition.”

 

“Are you going to enter the Core Halloween Baking Competition, Rey? Finn told me about your pies.”

 

“No.” Rey shook her head and snapped lid shut on the bread bin . “It’s not… I’m not…”

 

“The competition’s rigged,” Finn said in disgust. “The same bakeries always place.”

 

“Funny you mentioned that because a lot of people have complained,” Poe said thoughtfully. “I hear this year’s contest is going to be a double blind. None of the judges are going to know which entry belongs to which bakery.”

 

“That seems fair.” Rose perked up. She and Finn gave her a smile that Rey dreaded. It was the smile that said they had ideas, usually bad, and Rey wasn’t going to be able to sit it out. “What do you think?”

 

“I don’t know,” Rey hedged. As usual, words failed her. It wasn’t just that other farms and bakeries had been entering and winning the contest for so much longer. They’d been in business for decades. She was just a novice baker in a small village on the outskirts of the Core Region.

 

“Why don’t you let Poe taste the pie you just made.” His smile had softened, likely recognizing the quiet anxiety in the tightness of Rey’s expression. Her best friend rescuing her from awkward social situations as usual. “Poe can give you an unbiased opinion of whether he thinks you’re good enough to be in the competition.”

 

“I’m sure you’re good enough to join.” Poe put up a hand to ward off Finn’s praise.  “But if it helps, I’ll do a taste test. What’s the flavor?”

 

“Blu-blueberries.” Rey’s mouth was dry as dust.

 

“I love blueberries!”

 

“Then you’re gonna love the way I smell,” Rey said. It took her two blinks and Poe’s faltering smile to realize what she’d just said. Finn covered his mouth with his hand, but a customer by the counter sniggered.

 

“Why don’t you bring the pies out?” Rose suggested kindly. Rey recognized a graceful exit when she saw one. She walked quickly out of the storefront just in time to hear Rose ask, “Poe, will you be available later for dinner?”

* * *

 

 

Before Rey could crawl into a corner and die of mortification, a plate sailed past her head. Rey ducked to avoid the debris. Wide eyed, she crawled along the flour-spattered tiled floor to see Maz screaming at a gruff man wearing dusty jeans and worn plaid cowering near the overflowing sink.

 

“What do you mean there’s not enough apples? We placed the order months ago!”

 

“It’s not my fault,” the man whined, worrying his sweat-stained cap in his hands. “There’s been a shortage of apples everywhere. The other bakeries offered twice as much for the load.”

 

“They’re stealing our supplies!” Maz shook her finger in his face and the man flinched as if she’d pointed a gun at him. Rey would laugh if she was sure Maz wouldn’t kill him. She’d never seen the old woman so angry. “You do know that we make most of our income from the last few weeks of October, don’t you?”

 

“Look, it’s out of my hands!” The supplier backed a few steps away. “If it were up to me, I’d sell you the apples, but my boss told me to take them to Hapes Bakery.” With that, he sprinted out of the kitchen, through the back door and into the waiting truck outside.

 

“Coward!” Maz shook her fist at his retreating back. The truck roared to life before driving hastily away. “Gutless, sniveling worm! You’re lucky I didn’t put a hole through you!” She turned around and spotted Rey.

 

Rey’s hands automatically snapped up in the universal sign of surrender. “Don’t shoot.”

 

“Don’t be sassy,” Maz grumbled, folding her arms. With the supplier nowhere in sight, she seemed to crumple in on herself. With a start, Rey realized that Maz looked…old. She was usually such a force of nature that Rey never thought of her as old. But with her shoulders sagging and the frown creasing her wrinkled cheeks, Rey couldn’t help but notice how worn down she seemed. How fragile.

 

“What was that about?” Rey asked, rising to her feet.

 

“The last of our suppliers bailing on us,” Maz bit out. She rubbed at her temple. “I’ve called everybody I know, everybody who owes me a favor. The shortages in California have wiped out our out-of-state sources and the apples from the local farms are too expensive.”

 

A cold feeling swept through Rey and her stomach tightened. Her voice was as lost and small as she felt as she whispered, “But...we need it.”

 

“Sorry, kiddo,” Maz said, looking miserable.  “We may need to make do with supplies we have.”

 

Rey nodded, though they both knew Maz’s suggestion for the fantasy that it was. Tourists flocked to the Core Regions for the annual apple harvest. The only time Takodana could compete with the inner Core Region businesses was when tourists overflowed the central towns and were forced to visit the lesser-known, smaller bakeries. But they were looking for apples, not sourdough bread, and there was no way they would stop in an out-of-the-way Jakku bakery that didn’t have any apple treats on its shelves.

* * *

 

 

As business wound down for the day, Rey mulled over their options. She didn’t mention anything to Finn and especially not to Rose. The last thing they needed was unwanted stress so close to Rose’s due date. She knew she worried Finn, though, for he kept giving her odd glances for the rest of the afternoon. But she couldn’t be bothered. She was too busy brooding.

 

Maz hadn’t been joking when she told their supplier Takodana made most if its yearly income during the last few weeks of October. Without the sales from the fall festivities, Rey didn’t think they could stay open for the rest of the year. Rey thought about Takodana closing, about being forced to work for Plutt again, of Finn and Rose expecting their baby so soon.

 

A lump formed in her throat followed by a steely core of determination. The same determination that had kept her alive even as a six-year-old scavenging through dumpsters. She wasn’t going to let Takodana close. She wasn’t going to let Finn and Rose down.

 

“Hey, Finn,” Rey said as she finished cleaning the last of the dirty dishes.

 

“You are not getting out of dinner with Poe,” Finn said flatly as he mopped the kitchen floor.  Rey recognized the stubborn tilt in his jaw that meant he wasn’t going to back down. “It’s been years, Rey.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Rey blinked, letting the water drain.

 

“What are _you_ talking about?” Finn demanded. He set the mop aside and crossed his arms. “Isn’t that why you’ve been so grumpy? Look, it’s been years since Paige died. Rose doesn’t mind. I know you’ve—”

 

“Shut up,” Rey said, face flaming. “I don’t care about that.”

 

“You don’t?” His brow raised in skepticism.

 

“No!”

 

“Then you don’t mind coming to dinner with us then?”

 

“No.” The word sounded forced even to Rey’s ears.

 

“Good,” Finn said, looking satisfied. “I’ll see you tonight at 7pm at Ackbar’s Grill.”

 

“Sure,” Rey said through gritted teeth. “Anyway, do you remember where we would bring up our bikes when we’d go stargazing? Is that the trail going up to Varykino?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Finn’s face softened as his gaze turned inward. The mop squeaked as he resumed his cleaning. “That was a great summer. Why do you ask?”

 

“No reason. Tell Maz I’m borrowing the bakery truck tonight.”

 

“Rey…”

 

“I’ll see you later.”

* * *

 

 

Jakku looked almost peaceful in the golden afternoon. The village was situated in a small valley at the southeastern tip of the fertile Core Regions. The valley was too arid for apple orchards, so most of the locals in the area raised cattle. On windy days, Rey couldn’t escape the smell of shit throughout the area. It was one of the reasons so few tourists stopped by the little town and, consequently, Takodana Bakery.

 

It was also the reason why Rey could afford to live there. The one bedroom apartment she’d moved into would have cost her twice as much in any of the inner Core Region towns and three times as much in the Coruscant--the central town in the Core Region. It was the one luxury she afforded herself after she began working full-time at Takodana Bakery.

 

Despite the smell, Rey loved her little apartment. She loved her little balcony overlooking rolling fields, loved the clatter of wooden wind chimes hanging on her window, loved the solitude and neatness of her private space. It was so different from the constant noise and filth of Unkar’s foster home and it did more for her peace of mind than any number of visits to the court-mandated therapist.

 

Of course, all of that would be going away if she lost her job at Takodana. If Takodana closed down.

 

Frowning, Rey thought of the supplies she’d need for her evening excursion. She remembered pretty well the small trail that lead straight into the Varykino apple orchards. Maz’s truck had a ladder, bins and a bag she could use. She’d worked in apple orchards before to make up her food money when Unkar forgot to give her an allowance.

 

It wouldn’t be the first time Rey stole to live. She sincerely hoped it’d be the last.

* * *

 

 

As soon as the sun set, Rey made her way to the central Core Regions. As children, Finn and Rey had spent many hot summer afternoons biking their way through the dirt roads that ran through the farms and estates that produced the Core’s famous prize-winning apples. But the farmers had grown wary of the Jakku urchins and the sheriff never liked anybody who associated with Unkar. It’d been years since Rey passed this way.

 

Twice, she missed her turn and had to double back. Once, the road ran so long she nearly called Finn for directions, but at last recognized the lone pumpkin scarecrow by the wheat field. The road leading to the Varykino apple orchard was small and little used. The bakery truck squeaked as it bounced over uneven ruts. Night had fallen, but Rey didn’t want to use her headlights just yet. She knew the grand estate, and consequently its gardeners, were far from the orchards, but too many memories of her near brushes as Unkar’s scavenger made her cautious.

 

Rey cut the engine a quarter mile out. Tucking the ladder against her arm, she hiked through the dense underbrush with a bag and a plastic bin looped through her other arm. It was unwieldy, heavy, and more than once Rey tripped over knobby tree roots or squishy rotting fruit. Still, the thought of Rose’s and Finn’s faces once they discovered Takodana would close made her grit her teeth and keep going.

 

Luckily, the moon was full. Despite the deep shadows casting the orchard in a gloomy shroud, Rey recognized the perimeter orchards of the Varykino Estate. With a quick, furtive look around, Rey dropped the ladder, bin and bag and shuffled closer to a promising tree. Using the light from her torch, Rey propped the ladder against the trunk and shimmied up. In the branches of the tree, Rey smelled the sun, growing leaves and the fragrant scent of apples. She pulled one free and inspected the bright red fruit. It looked and smelled better than the apples Takodana Bakery usually bought from the Pacific Northwest.

 

Unable to help herself, Rey took a quick bite. The sweet and tangy flavor exploded on her tongue and she nearly moaned. It was perfect—the best apple she’d ever eaten her whole life. Light and warmth grew in Rey’s chest. The apple tasted like hope. Cheeks dimpling, Rey finished the fruit and quickly set about her work.

 

Unlike most people, Rey had never been bothered by the dark. Whether it was because Unkar had simply made her do too much of his dirty work after hours or by natural inclination, Rey didn’t spook. She soon fell into a familiar rhythm of picking the apples, dropping them into her bag and, once the bag was full, unloading it into the bin below. Once the bin was full, she made the trek back to the truck and retrieved the next empty bin.

 

She had just settled the last bin onto the ground and made her way up the ladder when a deep, masculine voice demanded, “What are you doing?”

 

Rey shrieked and overbalanced. The ladder swayed precariously underneath her and, to her horror, began tilting away from the tree. Gravity took hold and Rey braced for a hard fall. Instead, she fell smack into a warm body. They tumbled to the ground. In the clatter of the falling ladder, Rey thought she heard a horse’s panicked whinny and the sound of galloping hooves.

 

Heart thundering, she scrambled to her feet and away from the man. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to hide. She couldn’t be caught here. If she was caught, the police would think Maz put her up to it. It was the last thing Takodana Bakery needed. She couldn’t be caught.

 

She ran a few feet away before a moan made her pause. Chancing a quick look behind her, Rey glimpsed the man who’d caught her.

 

The man lay in a patch of moonlight at the foot of the apple tree. His face was upturned to the moon revealing a glimpse of an aquiline nose and dark hair tumbling down his forehead. He groaned, the sound so pained that Rey knew at once he wasn’t faking. He struggled to sit up but the simple effort made the blood drain from his already pale face.

 

“Oh, shit,” Rey whispered. As much as she didn’t want to caught stealing, she didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s death. She hesitated a few moments more. The man slumped, going dangerously still, and at once Rey’s mind was made up. She may have been a thief, a lowlife, a scavenger, but she wasn’t a murderer. Plutt hadn’t taken that away from her. Nobody would.

 

Fighting the dread choking her throat, Rey approached the man and knelt beside him. “Hey. Hey! Where does it hurt?”

 

A cursory glance revealed no obvious injuries or broken bones. She examined his face more closely. His brow was furrowed, likely from pain, and his full lips were pursed in a grimace. She was grateful for that because at least she knew he was semi-conscious. With some trepidation, she shook his shoulder. Nothing.

 

“Sir?” she tried again. He remained unresponsive. “Hey…I’m gonna slap you if you don’t say anything right now. Shit.” She sat back on her haunches, considering her options. It didn’t seem as if he’d just gotten the wind knocked out of him.

 

She bent over him and carefully carded her fingers through his hair. So close, Rey could smell sun, horseflesh and a woodsy masculine scent. Ignoring the softness of his hair, she gently prodded his scalp. Near the back of his skull, a sizable lump protruded though, thankfully, there was no telltale sign of wetness. He’d likely suffered a concussion.

 

The man groaned once more and Rey’s eyes dropped to his face. It was an odd face, Rey thought. He wasn’t handsome like Poe or Finn. But her eyes lingered on every feature, committing it to memory, and Rey found she didn’t want to look away.

 

It was at that moment that his eyes flew open. He blinked dazedly up at her before his eyes narrowed in outrage. He demanded, “Are you trying to kiss me?”

 

Rey dropped him like a hot potato and skittered backwards. His head thunked back to the ground and he yelped in pain.

 

“Oh shit, right, sorry,” she cursed again. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t—you surprised me is all.” She crawled closer back to him. “Err, you should probably not try to move around so much. You’ve got a concussion. I’m gonna take you to the hospital.”

 

“No hospital!” the man snapped, voice so loud it startled her into silence.

 

She sat back with a thump. “Um… you’re confused. You hit your head. You need to get an X-Ray and see a doctor.”

 

“I’m fine,” the man insisted. He gathered his feet underneath him to stand, but his right leg buckled.

“What’s wrong?” Rey crawled closer and pulled up his jeans to reveal his right ankle. Underneath, a circular metallic cuff with a green light blinked at her. She looked up at him, surprised. He made to tug his foot away but hissed in pain.

 

“Okay, you really need to go to the hospital.”

 

“I just twisted my ankle,” the man mumbled. “I just need to get back to my house.”

 

“You live around here?” Rey glanced around the silent orchard. Was he a gardener in Varykino? How had he snuck up on her?

 

The man ignored her question and let out a small whistle. A faint whinny sounded in the distance followed by the soft thud of hooves. To Rey’s amazement, a dappled roan trotted into the orchard and whickered at the man. It made straight for him but Rey stood bolt upright.

 

“Whoa there, Flicka,” Rey said, palms upright. “No stomping on the poor gardener.” Up close, the horse was enormous. It’s shoulders were level with Rey’s head and it lowered its head to sniff at her face. She took a quick step back, nearly stepping on the man.

 

“What are you doing?” the man demanded.

 

“Saving you from being trampled!”

 

“That’s my ride!”

 

“You ride a horse in the middle of the night?”

 

“Oh, sure, criticism from the apple thief!”

 

That shut Rey up. Fuming, she glared down at the man and seriously considered leaving him. If he hadn’t already gotten such a good look at her face, she’d run right now. But it was no use. So much for her samaritan impulses.

 

The horse blew at her neck and she yelped, jumping away. Slapping a hand over her neck, she gave the horse an alarmed look. The horse stared back, ears perked and eyes assessing. Uncomfortably, Rey realized the horse was judging her. She’d never had any experience with horses, preferring to stay far from the large beasts. Was this normal behavior?

 

“Artoo, come here,” the man said. The horse shuffled closer and nosed the man’s face. The man pushed it away, grumbling, “I’m fine.”

 

The horse sighed and dropped to its knees. Rey gawked as the man crawled on all fours to the horse’s back. Despite the sternness of his voice, his balance was chancy at best and his face still seemed ashen.

 

“Are you sure you can handle bouncing on top of a horse?” Rey eyed him with more than a little skepticism as he seated himself on the saddle.

 

“Oh, are you offering to give me a piggyback ride?” The horse grunted as it struggled onto its feet with the added weight on its back. The man clutched at the horse’s mane as the animal rose to its full height

 

“I—I’m just trying to be helpful!” Rey resisted the ridiculous urge to stomp her foot. “Isn’t there another way to get you back home?”

 

“The shortest trail back to the house is through this orchard.” The man straightened in his seat and if Rey weren’t so frustrated, she’d be intimidated. He was tall, taller than any man she’d known, and broad-shouldered. The long sleeves of his shirt barely concealed the muscles of his arms. Seated atop the horse (Artoo? What kind of a name was Artoo?), he seemed like a giant. Exactly the wrong person to run into during a robbery.

 

Rey sighed at her rotten luck. She didn’t know how he’d snuck up on her while she was picking apples. Luckily for her, she’d fallen on him and he’d fallen off Artoo.

 

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Rey hedged, hesitant to let him go. She’d had experiences with concussions. Jostling on top of a horse seemed like a very bad idea.

 

“Go away,” the man said. He barely made it a few feet before he retched violently to the side.

* * *

 

 

In the end, Rey took the reins and kept the man company as he moaned piteously, slumped over the horse’s back. She kept a slew of encouragements along the way, which he didn’t acknowledge. The only time he’d said anything was when Rey had tried to lead Artoo back to her truck so she could drive him to the hospital.

 

He’d gotten so angry that Rey was frightened he’d hurt himself more. She figured she could always call an ambulance at his house if he really needed it.

 

Artoo was far more agreeable than its rider. The horse knew exactly where they were going and kept a steady, slow pace that stopped the man from retching. Despite Rey’s nervous chatter and the man burying his face in Artoo’s mane, the horse seemed blissfully undisturbed.

 

It took them half an hour of slow walking before the lights of a large house loomed in the distance. Rey was momentarily struck by the sheer size of the building. Even in the dark, Rey could tell it was ridiculously huge.

 

“You live there?” Rey asked in bewilderment. “But…you’re the…” _Not a gardener_ , Rey realized with a fresh surge of terror. Shit. Had she injured one of the richest landowners in the Core Regions?

 

The man didn’t respond and Artoo wouldn’t let her dawdle. The horse increased its pace, heading confidently to the side of the building where lights illuminated a small stable.

 

Artoo walked right up to its own stall before lowering itself gently. Swallowing her trepidation, Rey helped the man on to his feet. He leaned heavily against her and Rey staggered.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call an ambulance?” Rey said, voice muffled as her face was buried against his shirt.

 

The man simply glared at her and said, “Just take me up to the library.”

 

Rey didn’t know how, but she managed to support the man as he stumbled up the front steps, past a large staircase, down a long hallway and into a large room. By the time she seated him on a large comfortable looking couch next to a smoldering fire, Rey was exhausted. The strain of supporting a man over half a foot and weighed at least three sacks of apples more than her made her limbs shake. Grimly, she wiped the chilled sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and stoked the fire with an iron poker until the flames snapped and hissed, illuminating the library. Rey took caught glimpses of tall shelves, handsome wooden desks and heavy leather bound books before focusing her attention on the man. His face was ashy and his eyes were shut.

 

“Hey!” she snapped her fingers in his face and his eyes flew open. “No sleeping. You can’t sleep for the next few hours.”

 

“Are you kidding me?” he almost snarled.

 

“Where’s the kitchen? I need to get you some ice and ibuprofen.”

 

“You can leave now.”

 

“You have a concussion,” Rey said. Slowly since he did have a head injury. “You cannot fall asleep. You need to get that swelling down and take something for the pain.”

 

“Learned that from medical school, did you?”

 

“From experience,” Rey said, hands on her hip. “Now you can tell me where the kitchen is or I can pester you all night long without any anti-inflammatories.”

 

The man stared at her for a long moment before muttering the directions to the kitchen. Rey returned as quickly as she could manage, though she did get turned around more than once in the grand house. It felt like a hotel—corridor after corridor followed by vast soaring spaces. It made Rey uneasy, thinking about all the other people that must have lived in such a space.

 

When she returned to the library, the man’s eyes were closed once more, head tilted against the back of the couch.

 

“Take this,” Rey said, voice gentle but loud. She didn’t want to startle the man in case he had a neck injury.

 

One eye popped open resentfully before the man took the proffered glass of water and pill. He swallowed it down with one gulp. When he settled back against the couch, Rey offered him a neatly folded kitchen towel filled with ice cubes. He settled it underneath his head and sighed. “Now will you go?”

 

“No.”

 

“What kind of a criminal are you?” the man said, sounding bewildered and exasperated at the same time.

 

“Not a murderer,” said Rey calmly. “You need to stay awake for a few more hours. I’ll leave… once I know you’re not in danger of dying.”

 

“I’m not going to—that’s _not_ how concussions work,” the man said. “I’m fine.”

 

“You will be,” Rey said. She knelt in front of him and he twitched. Rey suspected he would have jerked away if he wasn’t so woozy. “Relax. I’m just taking a look at your ankle.”

 

She unlaced his shoe and slowly pulled it off. Ignoring the cuff bracelet, she gingerly felt underneath it. The flesh felt hot and puffy against her fingertips. Twisted then, exactly as he’d said, and not broken. Rey heaved a sigh of relief. She arranged the second cold compress she’d taken from the kitchen as best she could around the ankle without disturbing the monitor.

 

Throughout the process, the man watched her with weary, suspicious eyes. “What’s your name?”

 

She paused. Her anonymity was her last line of protection, flimsy as it was. He’d spent so long conversing with her now that he was sure to recognize her tomorrow, head injury or no. But…she owed him. “Rey,” she said softly. “Rey Niima. What’s your name?”

 

“Ben Solo,” the man said. The words sounded strange in his voice, almost rusty. “Where’d you learn to do all this?”

 

“I told you,” Rey said, tugging his jeans over the compress to secure it in place. “Experience.” She retreated to the safety of a wingback chair and curled against the cushions. She stared at him, properly stared at him, now that she wasn’t afraid for her life or his.

 

He had an unusual face—long and framed with thick, dark hair. His nose was aquiline and his mouth was wide with full lips. But his eyes… she must have been staring at him far longer than she realized because Ben scowled. “What were you doing on my property?”

 

His property? Rey had suspected, but to hear it confirmed made her stomach tighten. “What did it look like?”

 

“It looked like a damned fool thing to do considering the fine is in excess of a quarter million dollars for pocketing some fruit.”

 

Her temper snapped. “It might just be _some fruit_ to you,” Rey bared her teeth, “but to other people it’s their jobs, their rent, their groceries. You don’t know what it’s like to decide between keeping the lights on or buying meat for the week. You don’t know what desperate and alone feels like. You don’t get to judge me in your fairytale mansion with your clever white horse and Beauty and the Beast library. ”

 

The fire snapped and crackled in the ensuing tense silence between them. Rey’s cheeks felt hot and, to her alarm, she realized tears prickled the corner of her eyes. She scowled even more ferociously at him.

 

“Don’t cry,” Ben said and his voice was gentle. The expression on his face had softened and she caught a flicker of emotion in his dark eyes.

 

“I’m not crying!” Rey snapped. “I just get like this sometimes when I—when—”

 

“When it’s overwhelming,” Ben finished and Rey blinked at him. “You’ve bottled it in too much. When it comes out, it’s not a trickle. It’s a storm. And then you lash out at everything.”

 

Somehow it was as if he’d seen inside her head, seen inside her heart and plucked out the exact right words to describe the emotions swirling through her. No one had ever done that before, never seen through her. Much as she’d tried to explain herself to Finn, he never got it. This man, this stranger who owned a beautiful mansion and rode a white horse in the dead of night, knew exactly what she meant within an hour of meeting her. Unsettled, Rey pulled her knees up to her chest. “I…I don’t lash out at everything.”

 

He gave her a long penetrating look before the corner of his lips quirked up into a little smile. “Beauty and the Beast?”

 

“Get off it,” Rey mumbled, hating how her voice sounded so young and uncertain. “I—I saw it in the Jakku library once. It was…I enjoyed it. For a cartoon.”

 

“What else did you see in the library?”

 

“What kind of a question is that?” The innocent question raised Rey’s hackles more than anything else that night. Nobody ever asked her silly questions. Silly questions mean that person was up to something, fishing for some information she didn’t want them to have.

 

“If you’re going to force me awake for hours, I deserve some entertainment.” His voice was flat as he gazed back at her.

 

“My Disney movie preferences are not for your amusement!”

 

“So you watch Disney movies,” Ben said. His eyes were speculative, almost sneaky, “Is Belle your favorite princess?”

 

“We’re not discussing Disney princesses!”

 

“Do you want to talk about why you’re stealing from me?”

 

“Do you want to tell me about your ankle cuff?” They glared at each other. The conversation was veering wildly out of control. This was worse than being caught stealing his apples. Almost worse than falling on him. With the reminder, she mumbled begrudgingly, “Mulan.”

 

“Why?” The animosity faded from his eyes to be replaced with curiosity.

 

“Because she was able to defeat a whole army single-handedly,” Rey said hotly. “Because she proved she was just as good, if not better than everyone else who thought she was crap at what she was supposed to do.”

 

That little smile reappeared again. It softened his face, made him seem so much younger and softer. Appealing. “Can’t argue with that.”

 

After that, conversation flowed easily between them. Though his lids grew heavy and he reclined against the sofa, Ben was attentive, always asking questions, always so curious to hear her opinion or point of view. It was disconcerting, more disconcerting than being caught by a stranger riding a white horse in the dark. Rey didn’t _talk_ but if she didn’t talk, then Ben would go to sleep and… well, she didn’t want him to die, especially now that she’d gone through so much effort to keep him alive.

 

Ben was just telling her about something called _Phantom of the Opera_ when a bald man wearing a stiff robe opened the library door. His round eyes widened comically and he said in the snootiest English accent Rey had ever heard, “Master Ben! What are you doing up?”

 

Rey jumped, clutching the back of her chair. Ben, however, merely inclined his head lazily, an imperious little gesture that made Rey think of princes or politicians. “Just talking with a friend, Seethree.”

 

“Seethree?” Rey queried, wrinkling her nose.

 

“Short for Charles Carlisle Cadogan the Third. He’s my family butler.”

 

While Rey processed that astonishing bit of information, the butler asked testily, “At four in the morning?”

 

“Shit!” Rey cried, jumping to her feet. “I’m going to be late for work!”

 

At her pronouncement, both the butler and Ben stared at her as if she’d grown a second head.

 

“It’s four in the morning,” the butler repeated.

 

“Bakers have an early start,” Rey muttered, patting her pockets to make sure she still had the keys to the truck. She really hoped she didn’t lose it in the orchards. “Um, you should be fine to sleep now. Sorry about the… well…I’m sorry.”

 

“Seethree, please take Miss Niima to her work,” Ben instructed with that same imperious tone. “We don’t want her to be late.”

 

“That’s not necessary.”

 

“I insist,” Ben said, his voice quiet and even. He raised a brow at his butler. “A young lady shouldn’t be walking in the dark by herself.”

 

Rey glared at his private joke, wondering when he would tell his hired help about her. But Ben seemed content to keep his peace as the butler nodded in agreement. “Very well. Master Ben, I _will_ fix you a proper breakfast on my return.”

 

The words sounded chiding, like something you’d say to a naughty little boy. A dimple flashed in the corner of Ben’s lips, but he replied solemnly, “Of course. Please have Chewie look after Artoo, won’t you? I’m afraid he’s been wearing his tack the whole night.”

 

Seethree’s lips pursed in surprise and annoyance, but he said nothing else. He gestured for Rey to leave. She hesitated, looking back at Ben. He was staring up at her, a strange, challenging glint in his eyes.

 

“Erm, well…” If he was going to accuse her, now would be the time. But he seemed content to keep his silence and that unnerved her more than his accusation would have. “Goodbye?”

 

The silence stretched, taut with possibility and danger. Her stomach tightened, but she refused to break eye contact. Something told her that it would be a very bad idea to show any sign of weakness in front of this man. That little smile made its way in the corner of Ben’s lips again and her heart stuttered in her chest. “Goodbye, Rey.”

* * *

 

 

Despite four espresso shots, Rey barely made it through her opening tasks. She was exhausted to the point of numbness, and only the sheer familiarity of her routine made it possible for Rey to work. She knew Takodana Bakery with her eyes closed. She knew each knife, each pin, each tray. She knew the oven’s quirks and sounds. Each recipe was more familiar to her than the lines across her palm.

 

Sometime between kneading the dough and watching it rise, as the fragrance of fresh bread wafted through the air and banished the last of the cold from her limbs, Rey felt the knot in her chest unwind. There were very few things that Rey could lose herself in and baking was one of them.

 

“So you skipped dinner last night.” Finn’s voice was carefully neutral, which meant he was truly frustrated. Rose and Maz were tidying the storefront in preparation for opening. Finn was helping her load the porcelain trays with ham and cheese croissants and cinnamon bagels.

 

“Oh, right.” She hadn’t even remembered the dinner with Poe. It seemed like a lifetime ago, though it’d barely been over twelve hours. “I’m sorry about that. I…I was caught up in something.”

 

“Rey…”

 

“Look, Finn, I’ve had a hell of a night. I really don’t need to hear it.”

 

“What were you doing anyway?” For the first time that morning, Finn truly looked at her from head to toe. “You look like you haven’t slept.”

 

“It was just dinner, Finn. It’s not like we won’t have more.”

 

From the front, Rose announced she was about to open the doors. “All right,” Finn sighed, “but you know you can’t keep running from things that matter, Peanut.”

 

She wanted to scream at Finn’s back as he disappeared through the kitchen door. What did he know about things that mattered? He didn’t even know that Takodana Bakery was about to go under. Rey never once had the luxury of burying her head in the sand. She’d had to adapt to her shitty circumstances. She’d had to make the ugly choices to survive.

 

Like stealing apples from Varykino.

 

Her thoughts inevitably circled back to Ben and the knot returned underneath her ribs. He’d probably called the police already. Any minute now, cop cars would show up and she’d be arrested in front of Maz, Finn, Rose and all the regulars.

 

What was she thinking? She hadn’t even thought to conceal her workplace to Seethree. She’d been so tired and so grateful to get a ride that she hadn’t even thought to lie about her bakery address. Not that it would have mattered much, Rey supposed, if Ben had really been determined to find her.

 

But Ben seemed… weirdly nice. He could have yelled for help when they reached his house, but instead he’d made sure to have his butler take her to Takodana. Maybe he would just forget about the whole thing. Concussed people lost their memory. Maybe he’d forget about her.

 

But that didn’t sit right with Rey either. She was just so tired. Weariness dragged her limbs down, stuffed her head with cotton. She desperately wanted to sleep. Still, she pushed herself to finish her shift. If Takodana Bakery was going under and if she was going to be arrested, she may as well make the most of her last days.

 

The police never came. Instead, Seethree showed up at Takodana Bakery around noon in a pristinely ironed uniform and cap. He caught Rey just as she was exiting the front door and gave her a handwritten letter in stiff, expensive paper. Her full name was scrawled in the center and, for a moment, Rey was so taken aback that she thought she was dreaming.

 

“Sorry, what did you say again?” Rey said after Seethree coughed.

 

“A note,” Seethree said. He glanced at Rose and Finn who stared curiously at them from behind the counter, and sniffed. “From the Master.”

 

“Uhh.” Rey massaged the headache blooming in her temples. Ben kept surprising her at every turn. At the most, she’d hoped he’d keep quiet about the whole theft. She never dreamed he’d try to see her again. “Are you sure?”

 

It was a dumb question, and Rey felt even dumber Seethree raised an eyebrow. She snatched the letter from his hand and opened it. Inside, in the most beautiful, flowing cursive Rey had ever seen, was a short missive:

 

_Dear Rey,_

_Would you please join me for afternoon tea? I’d like to thank you for helping me after my accident. I’ve arranged for Seethree to pick you up. After tea, he can drop you at your bakery truck that’s parked near my southern orchard._

_Yours,_

_Ben Solo_

 

 

Rey narrowed her eyes. No matter how prettily it was worded, she’d recognize a threat anywhere. The prickly, entitled ass was going to rat her out if she didn’t come. He knew about the Takodana Bakery truck on his property with its bins full of stolen apples and was using it as leverage. But why? What did he have to gain by asking her to tea? Who even had afternoon tea?

“Is he insane?” Rey asked Seethree bluntly, crumpling the letter in her pocket.

 

“No more than the rest of his family,” Seethree said dryly as if he’d wondered that same question himself. He paused, eyeing Rey meaningfully. At her blank stare, he prompted, “Will you accept?”

 

Rey hesitated. She didn’t appreciate being threatened, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but be intensely curious. She couldn’t figure Ben out and it was gnawing at her. Growing up in Unkar’s foster home, Rey had to be good at judging people. Rey had survived by knowing how far to trust people, in knowing who was going to steal from you, stiff you, screw you over or worse. But she couldn’t get a read on Ben.

 

Rey tallied what she knew of him: rich, rode a weirdly intelligent horse in the middle of the night, had a butler, lived in a gorgeous mansion, had an orchard full of apples that he had no interest in selling, unsettlingly perceptive, and was under house arrest.

 

She couldn’t make heads or tails of her impression of him. Logic told her she had very little choice, and she hated feeling trapped. But something else, something far more dangerous, grew in Rey’s chest—interest.

 

“Fine,” Rey told Seethree. The butler’s posture loosened and Rey realized that he’d been worried she’d refuse. She wondered what Ben would have done to the old man if she hadn’t accepted his invitation. Somehow, she didn’t think Ben would have hurt him. Though his manner was imperious, there had been real affection in Ben’s regard and a sense of shared history. With a start, Rey realized Seethree had been worried not for himself, but for his employer. “When is afternoon tea?”

* * *

 

 

The next time Rey saw Ben, he was standing on a veranda overlooking Lake Berenko. Surprisingly, he was much less formally attired than when she’d seen him last night. He was standing, hands held behind his back, in a loose, cotton shirt. Sunlight made the fabric semi-translucent outlining the hard angles of his body. He looked unreal and once again, Rey felt like she’d stumbled into some fairytale.

 

“Miss Rey here to see you,” Seethree intoned, breaking the moment.

 

“Thank you, Seethree.” Ben turned and his strange, pale face was solemn. His eyes flicked over her and Rey was suddenly acutely aware of her frayed jeans, stained hoodie and worn leather jacket. She was embarrassed, and she was irritated that she was embarrassed.

 

“Well?” she asked belligerently once Seethree had departed.

 

“Charming,” Ben said, gesturing for her to take a seat. Set some distance from the stone balustrade was a circular table decorated with a blue and yellow mosaic of seashells and starfish. Two wicker chairs draped with a sumptuous red fabric stood beside it, and some distance away a fire burned merrily in a little iron grate. A tray carried clotted cream, scones, sliced strawberries, and finger sandwiches with the crusts neatly trimmed off. A delicate porcelain tea set was already set in front of the wicker chairs. Steam rose from the teapot. “Won’t you sit?”

 

Rey had been planning on insisting he get to the point, but the spread gave her pause. When Ben invited her to afternoon tea, she hadn’t realized he was inviting her over for a proper _afternoon tea_. The sight of such dainty pastries on delicate china made her uneasy.

 

“It’s not poisoned,” Ben said lightly as he limped closer and sat down on a chair. Up close, he was as enormous as Rey remembered, with broad shoulders and chest tapering to a trim waist. He poured her a cup and slid it to her plate. “Earl Grey. Seethree’s favorite blend.”

 

Gingerly, she sat at the edge of the chair, brought the cup close to her face and sniffed. It smelled fragrant—not like the teabags Maz kept in Takodana. She sipped it and the liquid tasted bitter on her tongue.

 

“It’s better with milk and sugar,” Ben said. His eyes had lightened at the disgust on Rey’s face. He put two lumps of sugar and a dash of milk in his cup and slid it to her. “Try it now.”

 

Ben was right. The milk and sugar changed the flavor profile of the tea entirely. The sweetness cut through the bitterness of the tea and teased out notes of citrus and rose. She sighed in appreciation.

 

When she opened her eyes, Ben was watching her intently and her face flamed. Abruptly, she set the cup down with a hard clink. “What do you want?”

 

“You don’t want to eat first?”

 

“You forced me here,” Rey said. “Why?”

 

“I am not forcing you to do anything.” Ben took a long sip of his tea. His expression had hardened again, his jaw tight with tension. “I believe we could help each other.”

 

“And if I refuse, you’re not gonna call the cops?” Rey asked doubtfully.

 

“You can walk away anytime,” Ben said and his voice was cold. “Even now. I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened last night. Not even my staff. But if you do, you won’t get the apples.”

 

Rey froze, staring at him.

 

He steepled his fingers and stared at her. “Now, I was concussed so I may have gotten some of the details wrong, but I believe you need apples to keep your bakery going?”

 

“I never said that,” Rey said, but knew it was a hollow protest. She’d said too much last night, revealed too much of herself. It’d been easy for someone smart like Ben to put the pieces together.

 

“In return, I need you to do something for me. Something that you must tell no one even my staff.”

 

That was the catch. Rey folded her arms, now on familiar territory. He probably wanted her to steal something. Figures that a criminal like him would need someone to do the grunt work. “What’s the score?”

 

“No score,” Ben said, brow raised. “I just need you to pick apples.”

 

“Where?” Rey asked. “Windu Farms?”

 

“No.” Ben’s voice grew louder in indignation. “ _My_ apples. On my property.”

 

“You want me to pick apples for you? Like… a seasonal worker?” Was this a joke? But a close examination of Ben’s face showed that he was perfectly serious. “Any reason your staff can’t do that for you?”

 

“Would you care to explain why your bakery needs my apples so badly?” At Rey’s glare, Ben spread his hands out. “I don’t ask you about your business. You don’t ask me about mine. You get apples from the orchard. I get apples…elsewhere.”

 

“Elsewhere,” Rey repeated.

 

“On my property. From my trees,” Ben confirmed, “You work from 4:30 to 12:30 at Takodana Bakery, yes? After your shift, you’re free to pick as many apples as your bakery needs from my orchards. As long as, in the last hour, you pick apples from a tree of my choice and transport the contents to the house. In secret.”

 

Rey’s brow twitched. “Why don’t you pick the apples yourself?”

 

“I would have if somebody hadn’t fallen on me and busted my ankle,” Ben said, gesturing to his leg.

 

“Oh,” Rey flushed. She was silent once more, considering her options. Ben didn’t seem to mind. He heaped his little plate with the finger sandwiches and smeared some jam and clotted cream on a scone. His fingers were long and elegant. Precise in a way that let Rey know he’d been doing this whole life. It was strangely hypnotic. She blinked when he pushed the full plate in her direction before pulling her own empty plate to him. Rey stared at the small feast. “I can leave anytime. You won’t tell the police about last night.”

 

“It’s always your choice, Rey,” Ben said. “I’m just giving you an option. What do you want?”

  
  
  
  



End file.
